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Lyons celebrates strength, though 'progress can look bleak'

More than 200 residents have not moved back since flood, official says

By Whitney Bryen

Times-Call

Posted:
08/28/2014 11:54:07 PM MDT

Lyons resident Ed Huesers works to rebuild his home this summer. Despite the damage to his home, located in the confluence — named for the nearby convergence of the North and South St. Vrain rivers — Huesers considers himself one of the lucky ones. (Lewis Geyer/Longmont Times-Call)

One Year Stronger: 2013 flood anniversary

September marks one year since the historic 2013 flood ravaged homes, displaced thousands of residents and killed 10 people across the state, including four from Boulder County and two from Larimer County.

This special section is a collaboration of the Daily Camera, Longmont Times-Call and Loveland Reporter-Herald.

A stream of water busted through the exterior basement door, filling the level with waist-high water and mud.

Rushing water blew through Huesers' garage door, shoving 2,000 pounds of iron through the back wall and leaving two gaping holes in the structure, which still stands slanted and braced by wooden beams and cables.

With help from family, friends, neighbors and volunteers, Huesers began cleaning out the mud and water less than two weeks after the flood. Cleanup remains a daily chore as Huesers tries to rebuild his Park Street home of 37 years.

Since March, Huesers, 65, has been working on a two-story addition, which will include two bedrooms, a bathroom, a laundry room and a garage, replacing the spaces in the basement that were destroyed by the flood and can't be rebuilt there.

Despite the damage to his home, located in the confluence — named for the nearby convergence of the North and South St. Vrain rivers — Huesers considers himself one of the lucky ones.

"At least we're home," he said. "We're here and we're making progress, and that can't be said for everyone."

Nearly a year after the 2013 flood, 99 households are still displaced from Lyons. Town administrator Victoria Simonsen estimates that there are more than 200 residents who have not come home.

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Housing options shrink

As the one-year anniversary of the flood approaches, options are shrinking for displaced residents, Simonsen said.

Some are trying to rebuild, but costly repairs, slow permitting and floodplain regulations are making the process increasingly difficult.

Others, including homeowners in the confluence neighborhood, are considering federal buyouts, which is a lengthy and emotionally draining process.

Some residents, like the families who lived in Lyons' mobile home parks, lost everything and do not have the option to rebuild.

Housing has been limited in Lyons since the flood, forcing many residents, especially middle- and low-income residents, to leave town in search of affordable housing.

"Once they leave, it's going to be even more difficult to get them home," Simonsen said. "But we don't have affordable housing options to give them, so they're doing what they have to to survive."

'Three more years to full recovery'

Housing remains one of the town's biggest challenges, Simonsen said, but not the only lingering concern.

Streets, bridges, parks and businesses are being restored across town.

Community-wide recovery efforts have been underway for more than 11 months, Simonsen said, but there is still a long way to go.

"We've done a tremendous amount of work considering the resources we had, but we're looking at three more years to full recovery," she said.

Swarms of volunteers have put in more than 55,000 hours on residential, business and town projects, but help is dwindling.

Families are once again playing in a cleaned-up section of the river near the Second Avenue bridge, but damaged homes and dirt piles loom in the background.

"For some people, life is the way it was before the flood," said Lyons Mayor John O'Brien. "For others, it's totally opposite."

With help from family, friends and volunteers, Lyons resident Ed Huesers is rebuilding his Park Street home himself. (Lewis Geyer/Longmont Times-Call)

Like many residents in Lyons, O'Brien's life changed drastically after the flood. As he watched his community struggle to survive, O'Brien felt compelled to do something about it. So he ran for mayor and was elected in November.

After the flood, hundreds of community members who previously kept to themselves stepped into leadership roles hoping to contribute to recovery efforts, O'Brien said.

"People who never came to a town meeting before saw the need and stepped up," he said. "In my opinion, that's what makes Lyons what it is and shows our resilience and strength."

The 'disillusionment' phase

This summer, the return of the annual RockyGrass Festival at the restored Planet Bluegrass property topped one of the town's biggest achievements so far.

Town officials and residents celebrated several other milestones this summer, including the repaving of two blocks of Park Street, a groundbreaking at the wastewater treatment plant and the completion of the first phase of restoration at Meadow Park.

"It's never going to be the way it was before the flood," Simonsen said. "It's going to be better."

Celebrating recovery efforts was a priority for the town this summer as the community moved into one of the most difficult phases of recovery, disillusionment.

There are six phases recovery following a natural disaster, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency: preparation, alert, impact, heroic, disillusionment and recovery.

The mood has dropped for some residents this summer as tourists come to gawk at the remaining damage, which residents gathered in local shops call "flood porn," reminding them of the work that remains.

"We're exactly where we should be at this point," Simonsen said. "Disillusionment is part of the recovery process that we have to deal with, so we're trying to celebrate every milestone we can and help people embrace the new normal."

Town hopes anniversary boosts morale

Officials and some residents are hoping frequent celebrations will boost morale, including a slew of anniversary celebrations in September.

Truitt, who is an event planner, volunteered to coordinate the events as a way to bring the community together and focus on celebrating resilience rather than dwelling on the damage.

"It can still be tough because it's still not normal and resources are dwindling, so progress can look bleak at times," Truitt said. "That's why I want the anniversary event to leave everyone in great spirits, high spirits and to move forward in that mindset."

As the next year approaches, acceptance is going to be the key to continued recovery, Truitt said, based on her own experience with flood damage.

The basement in Truitt's home was flooded, and though she has finished cleaning the space, she still gets a whiff of mold on occasion, reminding her of the terrifying weekend in September when so much was unknown.

"I didn't know if my parents were OK and if my house was going to be OK," Truitt said. "No one knew what would happen, and the only good thing about it was that we were all in it together. We were there for each other."

But like many in the community, Truitt has returned to her daily routine of coffee at the Stone Cup, work, family and friends. And when those dark moments creep up, Truitt focuses on the light.

The flame from her favorite teak candles gives her hope while whisking away the lingering smell of mold.

"It's just something small, but that's what makes it OK for me," Truitt said.

"That's how we get through as individuals and as a community. We grab onto something hopeful and hang on for dear life."

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